


"Let Love Find You"

by fem_castielnovak



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Asexual Castiel, Based on a Tumblr Post, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Grey-Asexual Castiel, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 09:31:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5863957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fem_castielnovak/pseuds/fem_castielnovak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My response to <a href="http://theexperimentingdetective.tumblr.com/post/136552495690/tuffpuppy-roastgrief-please-stop-seeking-out">that terrible post</a> that was going around</p><p>for Powerfulweak who prompted me to write this</p><p> </p><p>  <em>Imagine Dean reading that and being pissed off as fuck at that heteronormative bullshit </em><br/><em>and actually walking into a coffee shop and shouting out “Hey who’s gay?” </em><br/><em>and that’s how he meets Cas </em></p>
            </blockquote>





	"Let Love Find You"

 

 

Charlie shivers as she stands outside Dean’s apartment door. Despite having been buzzed in to the building and trotting up three flights of stairs, the cold managed to follow her inside. She raises her hand to knock and gets one rap out before it’s thrown open. She startles back but more surprising still is the way Dean brushes past her as he shoves on his coat.

“Hey! Whoa, dude.”

He doesn’t turn around or respond in any way as he walks towards the silver doors at the end of the corridor. Charlie frowns and uses the spare key she has to lock his door for him as Dean presses the button for the elevator.

She follows his footsteps and sidles up next to him, “We never take the elevator,” Charlie states expectantly. She waits a beat. “It’s too slow.” Dean continues to watch the closed doors and Charlie watches him patiently. There’s a soft ding when it passes the floor below them and another when it arrives at theirs. Dean gets in without saying anything but waits for Charlie join him before pressing the button for the ground floor. The door closes and after a moment she turns to him, “You gonna tell me why we’re taking the elevator?”

“I’m _pissed_ ,” he gripes.

“Got a special reason?” she asks. In response he unlocks his phone then shoves it at her and buries his hands in his pockets as if to contain himself.

It’s opened to the tumblr app and there’s a post on the center of the screen. Dry and tonelessly, Charlie reads it aloud; “ _Please stop seeking out love in 2016 on them damn apps and let that shit find you in person oh my god lol_.”

There doesn’t seem to be any real effect on Dean. She exits the page and awkwardly holds his phone out for him. Charlie waits for him to say something or state his mind. But the elevator doors open and Dean strides out wordlessly.

She trails after and when she catches up, she presses the phone into his hand, “Is that post what you’re mad about?”

“I joined tumblr to get away from this sort of bullshit!” he shoves his hands deeper in his pockets.

She considers this, then tugs his elbow and exposes the one that has his phone in a death-grip. “Hey, yeah we all do. But it’s a matter of who you follow,” she takes his phone from him and opens the app, “Where you get your content changes the results. It’s the difference between using tinder and grindr.” She hands his phone back to him, the offending blogger newly unfollowed.

Unplacated, Dean huffs an angry breath and hunches his shoulders.

“It’s the most Hallmark-esque bullshit I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“I’m not gonna argue with that,” Charlie wrinkles her nose.

 “Wouldn’t it just be fantastic if I could walk up to anyone I wanted and have at ‘em without worrying about being cursed out or slapped or punched?” he says sardonically.

Charlie wants to stop him, get him to calm down before they cross the street and reach their destination, but he’s merely taking a breath before continuing.

“I mean, maybe there’s been a magical change in our society overnight,” he throws out his hand in a wide, false gesture. “Maybe it’s suddenly fine to walk around the places you live and work, actively seeking out romantic relationships and assuming everyone else will find that acceptable. Oh! Maybe now, all women will be okay with me being interested in men, and all men will be okay with my advances!”

It takes Charlie by _complete_ surprise when, the moment they get inside the café, he calls out, “ _HEY!_ Who in here is gay?!”

She steps into the warm room behind him and finds nearly all of the patrons shooting Dean looks that are either A) Suspicious, B) Upset, or C) Confused.

“Less than straight? Bi-curious? Still figuring it out?” He looks around the room, eyebrows raised, and finger pointed in question towards random customers. “Queer? Anyone?”

There’s some murmuring at the back, but the room had fallen mostly silent at his question. It seems to startle everyone, when there’s a motion and noise just to the left of the entrance, a few feet away from Dean and Charlie.

Both of them turn and find the source of the motion to be a man at a table, holding high the arm of the man beside him.

 _“Gabriel, please,”_ hisses the man with his arm in the air.

 _Gabriel’s_ other hand holds a fork with a bite of waffle on the end, which he diverts mid-motion to jab in the direction of his companion upon realizing he’s caught the attention of Dean and Charlie (not to mention half the restaurant). The man whose arm has been kidnapped looks to be fighting unsuccessfully for control.

Dean looks to Charlie but they’re both expressing equal amounts of uncertainty. A huff of breath and heavy, stumbling steps draw their attention back. The man whose arm had been held in the air is standing half bent and off balance as if he’d been pushed out of his seat.  
He rights himself stiffly, and blushing, tries to adjust his coat. It does nothing to help his nervous or awkward air.

Dean doesn’t know what to do with himself. But apparently Charlie does. She gives him a good shove and he stumbles up to the table. She’s right beside him as he regains his balance.

The man – Gabriel – looks Dean and Charlie over. “ _So_ ,” he says, “Who’s gonna call this LGBT meeting to order?”

Charlie glances between the members of the small group, including a ginger woman who had been obscured from view by the back of the seat. “We could start with introductions,” she suggests, eyes lingering on the pretty redhead.

Gabriel inclines his head, “Very well. Pansexual,” he says gesturing at himself. He points across the booth at the girl, “Bisexual.” He thumbs at the beautiful brunet man who has failed to reseat himself, “And biromantic asexual.” With Dean’s eyes trained on him, the brunet flushes even harder at Gabriel’s introduction.

Charlie smiles, “That works, but I was thinking more along the lines of names.”

“It’s more mysterious if we do those at the end,” jokes the woman across from Gabriel.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ve all got enough secrets to last us until the end of the conversation,” Charlie says.

The other woman laughs, “Fair enough. I’m Anna.” She points across the booth, “That’s Gabriel –“ he raises his hand and wiggles his fingers. “- and Castiel,” she points to the brunet.

“I’m Charlie, this is Dean. Oh! Lesbian and bisexual.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Anna tells her.

“So, of the three of you,” Dean says, “the only person to consider responding to me was Castiel?” he likes the way the name comes out on his tongue.

Castiel glares accusingly at his brother. “ _Gabriel_ ,” he states, “ _despite_ falling into the category himself, decided it would be better all-around if I were volunteered.” Gabriel grins smugly, even under Castiel’s scrutiny. “He rarely misses an opportunity to embarrass me.”

“Aw, c’mon Cas,” Gabriel whines.

“And why didn’t you sacrifice Anna?” he asks indignantly.

“She’s across the table,” Gabe argues. “Besides, are you really mad at me for helping you meet a hot guy?”

Castiel’s sullen silence is all the answer Gabriel needs. Embarrassment strikes Cas yet again when he realizes how damning it is and that the object of his admiration has borne witness to the non-verbal confession.

“So what brings you into this particular café this morning, screaming for – pardon me – _summoning_ the gays?”

“… It’s a weird story …” Dean drifts off uncertainly.

“Well perhaps you’d like to join us for breakfast and tell us your strange tale.”

Dean looks to Charlie who tears her gaze away from Anna just long enough to nod enthusiastically at Dean.

“Um, oka-“

“Great! Why don’t you and Cassie head to that little two-person table in the corner and you can tell him while your lovely friend explains it to myself and Anna.” Gabriel stretches himself in what is likely an attempt at eliminating room for anyone to sit beside him on the bench. He still only fills up half the seat. Charlie grins as she slips into the booth next to Anna. She gives Dean a dismissive smile before the other girl absorbs her full attention.

Dean and Castiel awkwardly turn to each other.

“Go on,” Gabriel shoos them.

They slowly pull themselves away from the table of their companions and seat themselves in the corner. Traffic outside the window seems particularly interesting to both of them before Dean begins fiddling with a napkin and then manages to make eye contact with Castiel.

“I _am_ interested,” Castiel says.

Dean’s eyes widen a bit and his expression blanks.

“In why you came in yelling what you did,” he adds.

“Oh,” Dean gives a small but awkward laugh, “uh, well, it’s … I was kind of … _ranting_ right before we came in. I had just seen … Well, here, lemme show you … Don’t judge me too much on this,” he says, pulling out his phone and handing it to Cas once the tumblr post is pulled up.

“Homophobia’s really not something I take well to …” he offers as the other man reads.  “So the shout out was half a product of my rant, half a test of their rom-com BS.”

“I see,” Castiel says, nodding seriously. He glances up from the phone and the eye contact has them both breaking out in quiet laughter.

“This wasn’t supposed to work.”

“It likely wouldn’t have, were my brother less of an ass.”

Dean huffs another small laugh. Cas smiles and another silence settles between them.

“… So biromantic asexual?” Dean asks casually.

Castiel reddens rapidly and glances down at the table, clearing his throat, “It’s more along the lines of grey-asexual o-or demisexual. I’m not quite sure. But I _am_ on the ace spectrum.”

Dean nods, “Cool.”

“And my brother can be rude and terrible when the mood strikes him, but for the record, he was accurate in saying I found you attractive.” Cas glances up to make eye contact with Dean.

“What a coincidence,” Dean grins, “I happen to find you attractive as well.”

“Would you be interested in making this a date then?”

Dean feigns consideration for a moment then points at his companion and says gently, “Hell, yes.”

 

 

Two days later finds Charlie standing outside Dean’s door, once again, shivering violently. However, when Dean answers her knock, this time he’s positively beaming.

Charlie can’t help smiling in return, “Looks like someone had a good date last night.”

Dean steps to the side and lets her in, leading her to the kitchen. “And another one lined up tonight,” he’s still grinning as he hands her a piping cup of cocoa.

She gives a low whistle, “Three dates in three days?”

He shrugs as he sips his cocoa but the air he has about him radiates smugness, “They all got planned by accident. The first one was breakfast of course, where he invited me to yesterday’s showing of _The Pirates of Penzance_ at the local theatre house. And tonight we’re going to an art show. He had an extra ticket and asked if I wanted to come. There will be dinner and making-out involved if I have anything to say about it.”

Charlie tuts jokingly, “My, my, mister Winchester. So _cultured._ ”

“If this is culture then hand me an ascot and a croquet mallet. Because I’m _in_.”

Charlie laughs.

“I already have an idea for the fourth one.”

Charlie sighs, “And to think you’d have never met if it weren’t for my brazen nature and a shitty, heteronormative opinion published on tumblr.”

Dean makes a face, “I’ll credit it to your brazen nature and terrible coffee-habit.”

“I’m still waiting for my thank _yooouuuu_ ,” Charlie flutters her lashes theatrically.

“You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”

“Nope. You’ll be helping me support my caffeine addiction well into your old age. And after having breakfast with Castiel’s siblings, I can safely tell you that Gabe won’t let you live it down either.”

Dean groans, “From what I hear, he was just _sooo_ proud of himself for pulling that stunt. Cas wasn’t sure who was more eager for our second date – him or Gabe.”

Charlie hums thoughtfully, “It’s probably a tie. Gabe was really excited that you two hit it off enough to go eat by yourselves that first time, but Cas is super into you. Apparently his jaw hit the table when you walked in.”

Dean pinks and bites the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling too wide.

“Yeah, well …” Dean hunches in on himself and stirs his cocoa, “I’m kinda super into him too.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Exits are to your left, your right, and your rear, restrooms are to the front, Kudos and comments are found below, and as always, very appreciated. Thank you for flying Air fem-castielnovak.


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